WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Philippine government’s decision to retract the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States:
“The U.S.-Philippine alliance is stronger today because both nations have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the VFA. Strong defense ties through agreements such as the Mutual Defense Treaty, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and the VFA are not only in the national interests of both the Philippines and the United States, but are also crucial to the security of the Indo-Pacific region.”
###